Vehicle-hub.



Patented lan. I, |v90l.

" No. 665,lol.

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E. B. JONES.

VEHICLE HUB.

' on ease w/rNEssEs UNiTno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN B. JONES, or HoRNELLsvILLE, NEW YORK.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,101, dated January1, 1901;. Application filed September 12. 1900. seal No. 29,829. tnomonti.)

To all whom it may con/cariz,.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN B. JONES, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Hornellsville, in the county of Steuben and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Vehicle-Hub, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the hubs of wheels for vehicles, and has forvits object to 'provide' hereinafter described, and defined in the ap-vpended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the igures.

Figure l is a side View of the improved wheel-hub. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional 3o view substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3isa transverse sectional view substantially on the line 3 3 inFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional, view, substantially on theline 4 4 in Fig 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side View of abox-like keepercollar employed and of details thereon and Fig. 6 is adetached and enlarged plan view of a latch-plate, which is a feature ofthe invention.

The hub 7 may be formed peripherally as shown, or the design andproportion of the same may be changed if desired, and it mayv beconstructed of wood or metal. As represented, the body of the hub 7 isof increased diameter intermediately of its ends, and this portion ofthe hub is cylindrical, having a series of spaced mortises or sockets 8formed radially itherein for the reception of. the spokes 9, asindicated in Fig. 2. f Extending in each direction from the cylindricalportion of the hub 7 are end portions of suitable length, and theseparts of the hub may be rendered coniform, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, togive the hub vconventional shape. A circumferential ange 7a is formed onthe inner end of the hub '7 by cutting an annular channel :1; near saidend, and the external diameter of the circular flange '7a is somewhatless than the diameter of said end of the hub.

The hub 7 is axially bored to provide a socket extends centrally in thehub from its rear end to` a point near the front end, leaving a solidwall b at the front end, and the latter is preferably incased by acupped band 10, held in place by screws c or their equivalents. v

The axle-body 11 is provided with a circumferential flange 12 Where theaxle-body and the spindle 13 join, and, as represented in Fig. 2, thetrue adjacent sides of the flanges '7'2L and 12 have loose contact whenthe spindle vis fully inserted in the socket d.

A keeper-collar 14 is an important feature of the invention and, asshown, comprises a loisected annular box, the two half-sections of whichare hinged together at adjacent edges, as shown at d in Fig. 3. Thetwo-part collar or box 14 is longitudinally and axially bored throughoutits length, the bore at one end loosely embracing the cylindrical bodyof the axle 11 when the 'parts of the device are assembled for service.The bore of the keeper collar or box 14 is suitably increased indiameter for a portion of its length from the opposite end thereof, andat a short distance from the end Wall of the box, which has lbeencounterbored, as explained, an annular recess e is formed in the bore ofthe collar. The groove or recess e is of such dimensions as will adaptit to receive the two flanges 7a and 12 when the collar is adjusted uponthe axle 11, and it will be seen in Fig. 2 that this recess lea ves aninwardly-extending circular flange f at the end rof the collar which isadjacent to the recess. AThe iiange fis fitted into the circumferentialchannel w, vand it will be apparent that when the bisected collar or box14 is placed upon the hub and axle after the spindle 13 is fullyinserted in the socket a the flange f, by its close engagement within ithe channel will serve to hold the spindle spindle-receiving socket atherein, and said Y IOO in the hub 7, owing to the locatien of theradial flanges 7@ and 12 within the recess e, as clearly shown in Fig.2.

The preferred means for retaining the two hinged half-sections of thebox or collar 14 closed upon the axle 11 and hub 7, and thus retainingthe latter in running connection with the spindle 13, consists of thefollowing details of construction: A latch plate or bar 15 is providedo1' suitable length, and at one of its ends said plate is hinged uponthe surface of one half-section of the bisected collar 14. Thelatch-plate is bent to adapt it to conform to the curvature of thecollar 14, and when imposed thereon overlaps the joint between thecollar-sections, o'pposite the joint between the hinged edges thereof,as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Two opposite notches g are formed in the sideedges of the latch-plate 15, near the free end thereof, and upon theexterior surface of the collar-section which the latch-plate is toconnect to the one upon which it is hinged two spaced stud-likeprojections h are positioned and are adapted to pass into the notches gand latch fast upon lockingshoulders g at the edges of the notches.

It will be seen that when the two-part keeper-collar 14 is looselysecured upon the axle and hub by means of the latching device which hasbeen described the hub will be held to rotate freely upon the axle-bodyl1 and spindle 13, and as the joints between these parts may besufciently close to prevent any rattling or wabbling of the hub upon thespindle and axle it is obvious that the improvement provides a verysimple and efiicient novel means for connecting the hub with the spindleand axle.

To prevent an accidental detachment of the latch-plate 15 from the studs72, a spring-detent 1G is preferably employed, consisting of anelongated wire loop held by one end upon a half-section of thekeeper-collar 14, so as to extend toward the free end of the latch plateor bar and rest thereon with sudicient pressure to prevent thelatch-plate from releasing its hooked connection with the studs h untilthe detent is manipulated to remove it from over the latch-bar, itslateral resilience permitting such manipulation when it is necessary toremove the keeper-collar from the axle and hub.

A passage 7l for the introduction of a lubricant may be formed either inthe hub 7 or keeper-collar 14, and this orilice may be closed by a screwm or by any other available means.

As it is only necessary to remove the keepercollar or box 14 to releasethe hub 7 from the axle 11, and as this may be effected in a moment, itwill be apparent that time and labor are saved by the employment of theimprovement.

It will be seen from the peculiarly-advan-t tageous construction of theimprovement that but a small amount of lubricant can escape if thejoints between the half-sections of the keeper-collar are as close asthey should be, and dust will be excluded from the surface of thespindle 13.

As there is no screw connection between the outer end of theaxle-spindle 13 and the outer end of the hub 7, as is usual, it will beseen that lubricant cannot escape at the outer end of the hub, and theprovision of the cupped band 10 aifords a neat iinish for the outer endof the hub.

The improvement dispenses with the ordinary spindle bur or nut andrenders the accidental removal oi a vehicle-wheel impossible, thusavoiding serious accidents to occupants of the conveyance duc to theloss ol spindle-nuts from the vehicle when it is in rapid motion or thebreaking ot' an axle on a draft-wagon from a like cause.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The combination with the axle having a spindle and acircumferential flange at the inner end of the spindle, the hub fittedover the spindle and having at its inner end a flange arranged to abutagainst that of the axle, and a peripheral groove adjacent thereto, atwo-part collar having a portion in engagement with the axle, an endflange fitted into the groove of the hub, and an intermediate portionrecessed on its inner face for the reception of the flanges on the axleand on the hub respectively, a latch-bar hinged to one part of thecollar, projections located upon the other part ofthe collar andarranged for locking engagement with said latch-bar, and a spring-detentsecured to the same part of the collar which carries the saidprojections, said detent extending over the end oi the latch-bar toassist in holding the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN B. JONES.

Witnesses:

MILo M. ACKER, NELLIE L. HENRY.

YOO

